8.11.2006

7:00pm Arrive at the conference....tell Shelley "lemme know if you need anything..."

7:40pm Shelley 'needs' a malt from Sonic. Well, not exactly needs, but I did offer and so she asked.

7:45pm Find Shelley's car in the parking lot because my truck is parked in Idaho, er, at a remote lot.

7:50pm Leave parking lot...realize I have no cash. Drive to bank.

8:00pm Arrive at bank in Price Chopper parking lot. ATM is down, two men with big guns working feverishly on it look at me as if I'm some postmodern Jesse James (the crook, not the grease monkey.)

8:05pm Go to the bank inside Price Chopper. Withdraw $10 from my checking account. Remember that I have some money in my Paypal account that I want to move to our checking account, so I withdraw $400 with my Paypal debit card.

8:10pm Realize that I am standing in Price Chopper with $400 in my hand. Note that it's probably the first time this has been done in this particular Price Chopper without some sort of pharmaceutical deal going on. Bolt for the car. Arrive at car to realize I can't find the key. It's not in the car. It's not at the ATM. Suddenly remember that I'm looking for a wad of keys and Shelley gave me one single key. Find it in my pocket.

8:15pm Jump in car, pull out....notice truck with a bumper sticker that says "It's a Child, not a Choice..." followed by a verse from the Quran. Flip out. Stop car. Grab phone to go snap a picture. As I'm approaching the car, holding cell phone at arms length, I notice the car is not vacant. I stuff phone in my pocket and nonchalantly walk back to the car that I abandon in the middle of the lane.

8:20pm Arrive at Sonic, order malt, leave for conference center.

8:25pm Return to conference center to find that the worship is over and I need to walk onstage almost immediately to make a pitch for Omega.